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PAMPHLETS 
ON 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


9   *  9      % 


Volume  3 


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Federal  council  of  the  churches  of  Christ  in 
America.  What  every  church  should  know  about 
its  community* 

General  Association  of  Congregational  Churches 
of  Massachusetts.  Advance  reports  of  various 
committees.  1908  and  1909 

McElfresh,  F.  The  country  Sunday  school 

MclTutt,  M.  B.  Modern  methods  in  the  country  church 

Mc-Nutt.,  M«  B.  A  post-graduate  school  with  a  purpose 

Massachusetts  Federation  of  Churches,  Quarterly 
bulletin.  Facts  and  factors.  October  1910 
"The   part  of  the  church  in  rural  progress  as 
discussed  at  the  Amherst  Conference." 

Root,  E.  T.  State  federations 

Taft,  A.  B.  The  mistress  of  the  rural  manse 

Taf  t ,  A.  B.  The  tent  mission 

Taylor,  G.  Basis  for  social  evangelism  with  rural 
applications 

Wells,  G«  F.  An  answer  to  the  Hew  England  country 
church  question. 

Wells,  G.  F.  What  our  country  churches  need 

Wilson,  W.  H.  The  church  and  the  transient 

Wilson,  W.  H.  Conservation  of  boys 

Wilson,  W.  H.  The  country  church 

Wilson,  W.  H.  The  country  church  program 

Wilson,  W.  H.  Don't  breathe  on  the  thermometer 

Wilson,  W.  H.  The  farmers1  church  and  the  farmers' 
£3  college 

co  Wilson,  W.  H .  Getting  the  worker  to  church 

O- 
LU 
C0 


Wilson,  W.  H.  The  girl  on  the  farm 

Wilson,  W.  H.  How  to  manage  a  country  life 
institute 

Wilson,  W.  II,  "Marrying  the  land." 

Wilson,  W.  H.  ITo  need  to  "be  x-'oor  in  the  country 

Wilson,  W.  H.  Synod's  opportunity 

Wilson,  W,  H.  What  limits  the  rural  Evangel 


'»S4T>*9»l» 


The  church. and  country  life.   Pamphlet  issued 
by  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Boston  Library  Consortium  Member  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/countrychurchwor03pres 


rv 


y 


By  Jeannie  Pendleton  Ewing 


Clear-eyed  and  prim,  with  walls  of  white 

Among   the   leaves   of    birch 
That   tinged   but   did   not   stem  the   light, 

Nestled  the  little  church, 
All  summer  open  to  the  air 
And   all    that   green    a-qudver    there. 

About    were    tender,    dreamy    sounds: 

The  stamp  of  horses'  feet, 
The   mumbling   bees   upon    their   rounds 

Where   cilover   nodded   sweet, 
A    piping    quail — the    grain    low-bent 
Showed     where      her     furtive     flutterings 
went. 

Used  by  courtesy  of  the  Youth's  Companion 


Next    father   in    the   pew's   long   row 

Came  urchins  sternly  shod; 
Next   mother — for    she    planned   it    so — 

The  child   who   first   would   nod, 
Laying,    when   sermon-time   oppressed, 
His  poppy  cheek  upon   heir  breast. 

Bare   stretched   your   aisle   and   long   your 
hour 

To   many   a   childish   wiight, 
Wee   church !   yet,   rich  in  holy  power, 

You    blessed    as    angels    miight 
Long  years  have  gone — our  faith  is  true; 
Long  years  we've  prayed,  because  of  you! 


®be  Eurai  Cbangei 

^  Gospel  for  Every  Man  Must  Be  a  Gos- 
pel for  All 

I 

4.__„: „„_„„_„„_„„_„„_„„_„„_„.,_„„_„„_, — „„_„„_„„_„„_.„_„„_„„_„. „ — „ — „„_„„_„. — .4. 

(^tetacles;  to  Eural  Cbangeltsim 


What  Limits  the  Rural  Evangel 


WARREN    H.    WILSON 


OF  all  the  churches  the  country  church 
is  the  most  faithful  in  preaching  the 
gospel.  The  country  minister  or- 
ganizes his  work  -so  as  to  deliver  the  message 
in  the  greatest  number  of  places.  Yet  the 
returns  from  country  churches  show  a  lesser 
proportion  of  conversions  and  accessions  to 
the  church  than  are  reported  from  the  city 
churches. 

The  shrinkage  in  rural  population  is  not  a 
sufficient  reason  for  this  arrested  evangelism. 
Growth  of  country  churches  attends  both  the 
increase  and  the  decrease  in  the  population. 

The  first  obstacle  to  the  growth  of  the 
country  church  is  a  static  condition  of  the 
country  community.  When  things  are  at  a 
standstill  religious  growth  is  arrested.  The 
country  neighborhood  for  the  gospel's  sake 
needs  new  businesses. 

Second,  the  divisions  among  Christians 
stand  in  the  way  of  conversion  of  individu- 
als. There  is  a  sort  of  covenant  of  peace  be- 
tween religious  sects  at  the  present  time.  Re- 
vivals are  held  by  consent  and  the  commun- 
ity goes  to  them,  but  there  is  a  strict  code 
as  to  the  division  of  the  names  of  those 
converted.  This  condition  is  the  result  of 
years  of  denominational  agitation.  The  dead 
interests  of  the  past  rule  the  work 
of  the  present.  The  country  church 
needs  a  gospel  of  practical  unity.  One  of 
its  ripest  fruits  will  be  a  great  revival  of  re- 


ligion among  country  people  in  the  early 
future. 

Third,  the  engrossment  of  farmers  in  eco- 
nomic affairs  at  the  present  time  is  due  to 
a  crisis  severe  and  critical,  but  while  it  lasts 
religious  matters  wait.  It  is  profoundly  im- 
portant that  the  ministers  understand  this 
severe  strain  under  which  the  farmer  is 
laboring,  for  the  man  who  bears  the  burden 
needs  the  comfort,  and  the  guidance,  not 
merely  for  the  future  world,  but  for  the  pres- 
ent struggle  and  the  immediate  need.  It  is 
important  that,  as  the  Old  Testament  preach- 
ers did-,  the  modern  preacher  shall  interpret 
the  divine  message  to  the  needs  of  the  people 
in  an  economic  crisis. 

Fourth,  there  is  great  unrest  and  discon- 
tent with  country  life  on  the  part  of  women 
and  young  people,  which  causes  them  to 
think  of  moving  from  the  country.  This 
keeps  many  people  away  from  the  church 
and  lifts  their  interest  out  of  the  parish. 
Evangelism  will  not  be  fully  successful  until 
a  new  way  of  country  living  is  taught  and 
new  ideals  are  furnished,  with  new  machin- 
ery for  satisfaction  and  profit  in  the  country 
home. 

Fifth,  many  country  people  are  tenants. 
In  some  communities  half  the  population,  in 
others  more  than  half ;  in  some  states  as 
many  as  sixty-five  per  cent,  of  the  farmers 
are    renters.      In   all   states    the    customary 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


lease  of  the  farm  tenant  is  one  year.  This 
means  that  about  half  of  the  farmers  in 
America  move  once  in  five  years.  A  harder 
situation  than  this  could  not  confront  the 
gospel.  The  gospel  as  it  is  shown  in  the 
Ohio  survey,  has  about  half  the  power  of 
access  to  the  tenant  that  it  has  to  the  farm 
owner.  European  nations  are  attempting  by 
law  to  transform  a  farm  renter  into  an  own- 
er. Until  this  is  accomplished  both  in  Amer- 
ica and  in  Europe,  the  country  church  will 
require  stronger  men  and  the  use  of  more 


churches,  which  like  the  Presbyterian,  believe 
in  a  resident  pastor,  in  an  organized  body  of 
work,  in  the  diligent  training  of  the  young, 
in  catechizing  and  schooling  the  whole  con- 
gregation, these  churches  have  to  compete 
with  denominations  which  use  less  thorough 
methods.  Presbyterian  congregations  have 
surrendered  their  heritage  and  given  over 
the  ministry  which  is  theirs  by  tradition. 
Except  in  the  older  state's  the  Presbyterian 
Church  is  not  organized.  Its  pastors  do  not 
live  with  the  people.     Its  presbyteries  have 


WAY  OFF   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  POINTING  COUNTRY  FOLK  HOMEWARD 


abundant  missionary  funds  than  the  city 
churches  employ. 

Facing  these  obstacles  there  is  a  sixth ; 
namely,  the  inferior  organization  of  the 
rural  church.  The  Sunday  schools  are  poor. 
The  ministers  are  often  absentees.  As  a 
rule  they  preach,  especially  in  some  repre- 
sentative denominations,  not  by  the  Sabbath, 
but  by  the  month,  returning  once  in  two  or 
in  four  Sundays  to  the  meeting  house  for 
whose  worship  they  are  responsible. 

So  long  as  the  churches,  were  missionary 
and  looked  forward  to  improvement,  this  con- 
dition was  tolerable ;  but  now  it  means  con- 
tentment with  little,  satisfaction  with  infer- 
iority. 

Many  country  people  defend  this  system  as 
being  the  full  expression  of  the  gospel.     The 


no  authority.  Its  congregations  are  inde- 
pendent in  government,  emotional  by  pref- 
erence in  religious  expresision,  and  deliber- 
ately inefficient  so  far  as  church  work  goes. 
Seventh,  a  great  obstacle  to  the  preaching 
of  the  Word  of  God  is  in  the  low  utility  of 
the  gospel  preached.  Some  ministers  insist 
that  the  test  of  utility  should  not  be  applied. 
Most  farmers  and  other  country  people,  on 
the  contrary,  are  strenuously  devoted  to  the 
adaptation  of  means  to  ends.  Country  life 
is  undergoing  a  radical  reconstruction  and 
every  institution  must  be  tested  for  its  value 
in  satisfying  needs.  The  people  are  hungry, 
they  are  weary,  they  need  comfort,  and  the 
gospel  preached  to  them  does  not  encourage, 
does  not  strengthen  them  for  the  day's  work. 
So  long  as  the  pulpits  in  the  country  ignore 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


the  religious  character  of  the  struggle 
througn  which  the  farmer  is  going,  the  farm- 
er will  not  in  large  numbers  express  his  re- 
ligious feeling  through  church  membership. 
The  men  whose  hearts  God  has  touched  will 
not  join  the  church. 

The  Master  commended  His  gospel  by  its 
utilitarian  features  when  He  described  it  to 
John  the  Baptist.  He  commanded  His  fol- 
lowers to  preach  a  gospel  of  utility  when  He 
told  them  to  feed  the  sheep.  Country  people 
need  a  churCh  that  is  open  to  all  the  interests 
of  the  community.  They  need  every-day  re- 
ligion, such  a®  is  written  into  the  Bible.  They 
need  an  idealism  that  glorifies  the  hard  work 
of  tne  day,  a  hope  that  redeems  the  sordid 
business  of  the  week  and  makes  it  noble  and 
divine.  All  this  sordid  and  toilsome  country 
labor  is  divinely  interpreted  in  the  Bible,  but 
too  often  it  is  thought  unpracticable  and  is 
spiritualized.  It  needs  to  be  brought  back 
again  to  daily  use. 

The  last  obstacle  to  evangelism  is  the 
dimmed  inspiration  of  the  Bible,  which  is 
a  book  luminous  to  the  farmer's  eyes.  Many 
passages  which  define  country  life  and  labor 
are  used  for  burial  services ;  others  are  ig- 


nored, because  they  offer  no  handle  for  alle- 
gorical or  figurative  arousement  of  emotion. 
They  do  not  appeal  to  the  fancy.  Yet  the 
people  in  church  need  matter  of  fact,  plain 
teaching  about  animals  and  soil  and  work; 
about  sex  and  sorrow  and  love  and  birth  and 
death.  They  need  to  be  taught  something 
that  will  prepare  them  for  the  day,  as  food 
does.  It  is  all  in  the  Bible,  with  no  inter- 
preter. The  fact  that  the  plain  message  of 
Scripture  is  ignored  has  much  to  do  witb 
the  indifference  of  country  people  to  the 
evangel. 

We  do  not  need  something  new.  We  need  to 
realize  what  we  have.  The  most  traditional 
and  conservative  minister  sbould  put  bis 
heart  into  what  he  believes,  and  he  will  be 
at  once  the  most  successful  country  minis- 
ter. We  have  gone  after  so  many  fancy  and 
emotional  ideals  in  religion  that  we  do  not 
remember  the  efficiency  of  the  Protestant 
Church,  which  is  the  divinely  given  institu- 
tion for  the  service  of  the  people  living  in 
small  communities.  We  need  a  belief  in  the 
Church  as  the  body  of  Christ,  "the  Bride  of 
the  Lamb,"  "the  pillar  and  ground  of  the 
truth." 

J 


The  Village  Monopoly  of  the  Gospel 


LUCIEN    V.    RULE 


THE  subject  assigned  me  in  this  sym- 
posium is,  '"The  Village  Monopoly  of 
the  Gospel,"  which,  as  the  editor  has 
suggested,  signifies,  "The  tendency  of  the  vil- 
lage to  monopolize  ministers  and  churches 
and  schools  to  draw  the  best  minds  out  of 
the  country,  giving  them  no  spirit  of  service 
which  would  send  them  back  into  the  country 
as  evangelists,  teachers  and  leaders  of  the 
people." 

We  have  dealt  with  that  very  tendency  and 
condition  in  Brownstown  and  Crothersville, 
Indiana,  where  I  am  pastor,  and  where,  as 
chairman  of  the  Social  Service  and  Country 
Life  Committee  of  our  presbytery,  it  is  my 
business  to  find  a  way  out  of  sucb  difficulties. 
We  have  succeeded  notably,  by  the  blessing 
of  God  and  the  fine  leadership  discovered  to 
us  right  on  the  field,  and  ours  are  small, 
struggling  churches. 


In  Brownstown  and  Crothersville,  with  a 
population  of  2,000  and  1,200  respectively, 
the  inevitable  denominational  rivalry  for- 
merly tended  to  hold  the  local  pastors  in 
town,  "to  keep  up  the  churches"  and  to  thresh 
over  the  same  old  material  in  religious  re- 
vivals year  after  year.  The  social  life  of  the 
young  people  was  sadly  neglected  or,  worse 
still,  put  under  strict  prohibition  by  some 
parents  and  preachers.  Separation  and  divis- 
ion were  preached  and  practiced  in  both  town 
and  country,  which  only  embittered  the  de- 
nominational rivalry  already  existing. 

In  the  midst  of  this  narrow  sectarianism, 
Preston  Rider,  founder  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Crothersville,  got  up  a  big  national 
flag  of  boys  and  girls  from  all  the  Sunday 
schools  of  the  township,  years  ago,  on  the 
Fourth  of  July  at  the  fair  grounds.  The  lit- 
tle folks  were  arranged  in  groups  and  lines 
to  represent  the   Stars   and   Stripes,   and   a 


6 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


splendid  photograph 
was  taken  of  them 
all.  It  was  the 
greatest  picnic  ever 
given  in  those  parts 
and  gave  a  new 
spirit  of  brotherhood 
to  six  hundred  young 
people. 

Mr.  Rider  was 
very  resourceful  and 
big-hearted  in  organ- 
izing and  planning 
something  that  ev- 
erybody could  enjoy. 
He  first  brought  en- 
terprise and  co-oper- 
ation into  the  busi- 
ness life  of  the  town, 
and  then  he  lifted 
his  church  forever 
above  selfishness  and 
bigotry  by  making  it 
serve  the  community. 
His  success'or  to- 
day in  Cr others  ville, 
Clyde  Reach,  Super- 
intendent of  the 
Presbyterian  Sunday 
school,  has  engineer- 
ed both  town  and 
country  to  a  new 
social  relationship 
and  a  new  commun- 
ity neighborliness.  The  town  meeting  and  the 
public  assemblage,  either  for  business  or 
pleasure,  got  the  people  together,  and  the 
thing  was  done. 

II. 

Of  course  this  message  had  to  come  from 
the  pulpit,  and  the  Presbyterian  church  seven 
years  ago  took  the  lead.  The  High  School 
did  the  work  in  an  educational  way  through 
Prof.  O.  O.  White,  who,  as  one  of  his  pupils 
truly  said,  "Introduced  the  new  social  life 
into  the  old  religious  atmosphere."  All  the 
churches  duly  fell  in  line,  and  when  the  Bo> 
and  Girl  Scout  movement  was  organized  the 
rising  generation  left  the  old  prejudices  for- 
ever behind.  You  cannot  discover  an  atom 
of  sectarianism  in  the  young  people  of  Cro- 
thersville  today  who  received  the  training  of 
the  Scout  work.     They  will  work  anywhere 


you  assign  them. 
The  Copper  Bot- 
tom Sunday  school 
and  Neighborhood 
church  near  Croth- 
ersville  is  a  yet  more 
remarkable  success. 
Mr.  Leonard  Gillas- 
py  was  its  day  school 
teacher  for  years, 
and  for  years  he  has 
been  the  teacher  of 
two  splendid  Bible 
classes  every  Sun- 
day, one  at  the  Cro- 
thersville  Presbyter- 
ian Church  at  ten  a. 
m.  and  at  Copper 
Bottom  at  three  p.  m. 
He  reorganized  both 
schools  in  a  thor- 
oughly modern  way 
and  is  such  a  noble 
incarnation  of  the 
country  life  move- 
ment that  Home  Mis- 
sion leaders  in  two 
presbyteries  have 
made  him  flattering 
to  give  his 
time    to     the 


offers 
whole 
work. 


BY   BABBLING  BROOK 


Leonard  Gillaspy  is 
a  young  farmer  and 
day  school  teacher.  He  is  a  college  man  and 
a  born  community  leader.  You  will  find  him 
on  spring  days  between  the  plow  handles,  for, 
like  Gideon  Blackburn,  he  thinks  and  studies 
in  the  open.  He  draws  liis  illustrations  from 
life  and  experience.  The  farmers  in  his 
neighborhood  quit  going  to  church  because 
they  got  tired  of  sectarianism  and  hungered 
for  the  gospel  of  brotherhood.  Gillaspy  lived 
it  and  taught  it  and  they  turned  the  Copper 
Bottom  school-house  into  a  little  temple 
where  they  all  meet  together  Sunday  after- 
noons to  study  and  talk  about  the  Word  of 
Life  and  the  Father-Friend.  You  can  often 
see  the  moist  eye  and  the  quivering  lip  as 
this  young  teacher  talks  to  his  big  grown-up 
pupils. 

Gillaspy  is  the  finest  day  school  institute 
instructor  in  Jackson  County.  He  broke 
down  the  old  lingering  prejudice  against  the 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


THE  UPLIFTING  CENTRE  OF  A  FAR-STRETCHED  COUNTRY  SIDE 


consolidated  High  School  in  Crothersville. 
No  teacher  in  the  county  has  made  more  of 
poor,  backward,  disheartened  pupils1  than  he. 
His  sympathy  aud  patience  are  proverbial. 
He  holds  his  institutes  in  town  at  the  High 
School  and  draws  thither  the  parents  and 
teachers  from  all  over  the  township.  Quar- 
terly all-day  meetings  and  dinners  cement  the 
educational  and  community  spirit.  He  work- 
ed hand  in  hand  with  Prof.  White  till  the 
good  task  was  accomplished. 

III. 

It  was  inevitable  that  these  community 
movements  would  take  on  an  organized  fra- 
ternal form.  The  churches  and  lodges  became 
imbued  with  the  new  spirit  and  the  Social 
Crusaders     were     instituted     to     express     it 


amongst  the  young  people.  The  Crothersville 
Epworth  League  became  inter-denominational 
as  a  result  and  a  new  socialized  Christian 
Endeavor  sprang  up  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  National  holidaj7s,  religious  anni- 
versaries, neighborhood  reunions  and  family 
festivals  have  recovered  the  old  time  good 
will  and  fellowship  when  the  country  was 
new  and  people  dependent  upon  each  other. 
Men  like  Gillaspy  are  born  fraternity  leaders. 
They  make  social  and  religious  institutions 
stand  for  what  they  profess ;  and  the  new 
time  has  already  manifested  itself  in  these 
communities.  You  will  have  to  be  on  the 
ground  to  get  into  the  spirit  of  it ;  but  these 
men,  and  many  noble  women  we  have  not 
named,  have  already  laid  the  foundation  for 
the  kingdom  in  their  midst. 


Shepherding  a  Scattered  Flock 


LOWIUE    D.    CORY 


1HAVE  often  wondered  how  rapid  would 
be  the  growth  of  the  churches  in  our 
cities,  and  how  steady  would  be  the  de- 
velopment in  spiritual  things  of  the  members 
of  city  churches,  if  the  same  conditions  pre- 
vailed which  exist  in  so  many  of  our  country 
districts.    And  the  question  is  more  insistent 


in  my  own  mind  from  personal  knowledge 
of  the  city  church,  with  its  many  organiza- 
tions and  equipment  for  large  service.  How 
long  would  that  city  church  survive  which 
had  a  service  but  once  a  month.  Would  the 
members  of  that  city  church  prize  more  high- 
ly the  occasional  service,  or  fall  into  the  easy 


s 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


habit  of  so  many  others  of  non-attendance. 
And  what  large  opportunity  that  city  pastor 
would  have  to  exercise  his  talents  to  develop 
his  people  at  the  same  ratio,  if  instead  of 
hearing  him  fifty  or  an  hundred  times,  be- 
sides prayer  meeting,  he  should  have  but 
twelve  opportunities  in  the  year  to  break  to 
them  the  Bread  of  Life. 

Yet  that  is  the  situation  in  more  than  one 
country  parish  in  our  land,  and  is  the  pre- 
vailing condition  in  the  work  of  all  the  de- 


strikes  at  some  point  on  the  earth  and  makes 
its  impression  felt.  Or  to  change  the  figure, 
the  shepherd  is  not  so  much  interested  in 
seeing  how  many  miles  he  can  travel  with 
his  flock  in  the  course  of  the  day,  but  in  find- 
ing the  best  pasture  and  the  best  watering 
places. 

Other  things  unite  with  such  conditions  to 
hinder  the  progress  of  the  gospel.  The  roads 
in   many   of   these   country   parishes   are   in 


nominations  represented  in  this  work  in  this 
mountain  region  of  Western  North  Carolina. 
The  pastor  who  has  charge  of  but  one  church 
is  the  exception.  And  not  a  few  preach  twice 
every  Sunday  in  the  month,  and  face  a  dif- 
ferent congregation  at  each  service.  And 
there  are  a  few  communities  which  have  a 
regular  service  only  on  a  fifth  Sunday,  which 
means  but  four  times  in  the  year. 

The  plea  may  be  made  that  in  this  way  one 
is  able  to  cover  larger  territory  and  bring 
more  people  within  the  hearing  of  the  gospel. 
But  the  best  results  are  not  always  from 
diffusion  of  power.  The  sheet  lightning  only 
lights  up  the  heavens  for  a  brief  moment 
of  time.     But  the  chain,  or  forked,  lightning 


many  cases  only  places  where  roads  ought  to 
be,  and  even  in  this  respect  judgment  has  not 
always  been  used,  and  at  times  our  "circuit 
rider"  finds  the  roads  well-nigh  impassable. 
Also  in  many  cases  the  salary  does  not  per- 
mit our  shepherd  of  the  out-lying  district  to 
provide  himself  with  almost  the  first  tool  of 
his  trade,  a  horse,  a  mule,  or,  where  the 
roads  permit,  an  automobile.  He  has  but 
two  choices,  to  depend  on  the  mercy  of  those 
who  will  lend  or  hire  him  a  horse,  or  walk. 
Neither  is  he  always  certain  that  the  weather 
will  permit  a  large  congregation  to  gather, 
even  though  he  make  it  known  by  word  and 
practice  that  no  weather  shall  hinder  him 
in  meeting  his  appointment. 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


9 


Out  of  such  conditions  certain  hindrances 
arise,  which  may  be  briefly  stated. 

1.  There  is  a  lack  of  trained  leadership. 
Much  might  be  accomplished  by  the  utiliza- 
tion of  the  lay  forces,  if  such  forces  could 
be  made  available. 

2.  Lack  of  intimate  knowledge  of  the  peo- 
ple in  their  homes  and  at  their  work.  The 
message  suffers  and  the  pastor  and  people 
alike  suffer  from  the  lack  of  the  vital  touch. 

3.  Aggressive  evangelistic  work  must,  in 
the  main,   be   reserved   for   revival   services 


feeling  of  responsibility  in  meeting  the  fin- 
ancial obligations  of  the  church.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  appeal  to  the  idea  of  systematic  giv- 
ing. 

Too  much  praise  cannot  be  given  to  those 
faithful  community  workers,  who,  acting  as 
pastor's  assistants  in  the  work  of  our  church, 
are,  among  other  things,  doing  much  to  secure 
regularity  of  services,  especially  through  the 
Sunday-school. 

Perhaps,  in  closing,  a  chapter  from  one 
Sunday  in  such  a  pastor's  life  will  be  inter- 
esting.    Like    Samuel   Johnson,    this   pastor 


instead  of  through  individual  work.  The  ten- 
dency of  these  meetings,  heretofore,  has  been 
almost  harmful,  in  the  appeal  that  has  been 
made  to  the  emotions,  and  the  inability  to 
throw  around  the  young  Christian  an  atmos- 
phere conducive  to  growth.  The  top  soil  has 
been  scratched  over  so  many  times  that  the 
fertilizing  element  has  all  been  used,  and  the 
response  is  now  meagre.  A  deeper  stirring 
is  needed,  and  ip  some  cases  only  dynamite 
will  suffice  to  break  the  crust. 
4.    Division  of  forces  breeds  a  lack  of  the 


must  be  an  early  riser  on  Sunday  morning. 
There  follow  in  order  Sunday-school  and 
church  services  in  his  home  town.  Then  he 
must  hurry  through  dinner,  and  be  off — this 
time  on  a  borrowed  mule — not  later  than  1.30 
for  another  appointment  five  miles  away.  No 
time  is  allowed  him  for  rest,  digestion  of  his 
dinner  or  collection  of  his  scattered  thoughts. 
And  today  he  is  especially  anxious  to  be  early 
on  the  field,  because  the  sudden  death  of  one 
of  the  members  of  the  church  at  this  point 
on  Friday  may  bring  the  funeral  service  at 


10 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


the  hour  of  the  regular  service.  On  the  way 
he  stops  but  a  moment  at  the  house  of  one  for 
whom  he  is  trying  to  secure  a  patent  for  a 
useful  discovery  to  leave  word  that  no  news 
had  as  yet  come  whether  the  application  had 
been  favorably  passed  on.  Ten  minutes  be- 
fore the  hour  for  preaching  he  arrives  at  the 
school-house  where  the  services  are  held, 
where  desks  are  the  pews,  and  finds  that  it 
was  necessary  to  hold  the  funeral  service  in 
the  morning,  a  minister  nearer  at  hand  hav- 
ing been  called  in  to  conduct  the  service.  A 
few  minutes  rest  and  he  faces  a  good  con- 
gregation for  the  preaching  service  of  the 
afternoon.    After  the  service  a  bite  to  eat  at 


the  board  of  the  community  worker,  while 
certain  things  of  interest  in  the  community 
are  discussed,  and  Cradle  Roll  certificates 
signed.  Then  a  ride  of  half  a  mile  farther, 
and  his  mule  must  be  tied  while  he  climbs 
straight  up  the  side  of  the  mountain  1,000 
feet  or  more,  in  the  still  blazing  sunshine, 
to  the  home  just  bereaved  of  the  husband  and 
father.  Then  back  to  home  and  wife  and 
baby  in  the  gathering  dusk,  stopping  for  a 
word  with  some  one  on  the  road,  or  a  chat 
at  a  house,  reaching  town  just  as  the  union 
service  of  the  evening  is  beginning,  which  he 
must  miss  this  time,  and  which  he  is  glad 
it  is  not  his  Sunday  to  conduct. 


The  Stay-at-Home  Women 


MARGARET    B.    BARNARD 


A  LADY  living  in  the  city  asked  me 
some  years  ago  why  so  many  people 
in  the  country  did  not  go  to  church, 
and  seemed  much  surprised  when  I  replied 
that  they  failed  to  go  for  very  much  the  same 
reasons  that  city  people  lost  the  habit.  Hu- 
man nature  in  city  and  country  is  much  alike, 
but  the  environment  will  influence  the  nature 
of  the  audit,  and  create  different  causes  for  the 
same  effect.  Church  going  is,  after  all,  more 
or  less  a  habit,  and  if  circumstances  prevent 
attendance  for  a  time,  one  is1  very  apt  to 
drift,  and  to  feel  that  the  hour  of  worship  is 
not  so  essential  as  it  once  seemed. 

There  are  four  prominent  reasons  why  wo- 
men acquire  the  stay-at-home-from-church 
habit  in  the  country  : 

I.  Young  women  who  may  have  been  ac- 
customed to  attend  church  and  even  to  be  ac- 
tively interested  in  all  Christian  work, 
marry,  and  for  a  short  time  keep  up  the 
church-going  habit.  Then  the  babies  come. 
There  is  no  one  with  whom  to  leave  them. 
The  mother  must  stay  at  home,  and  the 
father  falls  into  the  way  of  staying  at  home 
with  her.  By  the  time  the  children  are  old 
enough  to  go  also,  the  custom  of  church  at- 
tendance is  unhappily  lost.  It  is  a  great  ef- 
fort to  get  up,  dress  the  children,  do  the  work 
and  "I  guess  I  won't  go  today,"  ends  the  sub- 
ject. Gradually  an  indifference  is  developed 
which  is  very  difficult  to  overcome,  for  we 
are  seldom  interested  in  things  to  which  we 
do  not  contribute  by  money  or  personal  effort. 


II.  Supposing  that  the  mother,  after  her 
children  are  large  enough,  desires  to  attend 
church,  she  is  often  delayed  or  prevented  by 
the  lack  of  clothes.  In  a  city  or  town,  given 
the  money,  one  can  go  to  a  store  and  buy  the 
necessary  articles.  In  the  country  it  is  very 
different.  A  woman  must  consult  a  catalogue 
from  a  mail  order  house,  m'ake  out  the  order 
carefully,  then  wait  till  there  is  a  chance 
to  go  to  the  post-office  for  a  money  order, — it 
may  be  several  days, — and  after  that  bide  in 
patience  the  action  of  the  mails.  AH  this  de- 
lay is  inevitable  if  there  is  ready  money,  but 
often  in  the  country  there  is  a  lack  of  that 
commodity  when  the  family  is  not  really  suf- 
fering. So  she  must  bide  her  time  until  the 
sale  of  some  farm  product  brings  the  neces- 
sary cash,  and  the  desire,  which  was  very 
real  in  the  beginning,  dies  put,  and  even  the 
arrival  of  the  clothes  does  not  revive  it. 

III.  A  third  difficulty  is  distance.  The 
church  is  often  three  or  four  miles  from  home, 

and  bad  roads  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year 
make  the  trip  a  long  one.  Unless  one  is  deep- 
ly religious,  or  very  enthusiastic,  this  obstacle 
is  a  serious  one.  Then  again  if  the  husband 
does  not  wish  to  go,  there  may  be  no  horse 
which  the  woman  can  drive,  or,  in  many  cases 
the  horses  are  too  tired  after  their  week's 
work  to  be  taken  out,  and  the  longing  for 
church  and  companionship  is  again  denied. 

IV.  After  giving  due  credit  to  these  very 
material,  but  very  practical  reasons,  it  is  fool- 
ish   to    deny    that    our    churches    have    not 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


11 


touched  the  community 
life  as  they  should.  The 
country  ministers  have 
too  often  been  men  with- 
out training,  or  men  who 
have  failed  elsewhere. 
They  have  not  command- 
ed the  respect  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  nothing  so  in- 
jures the  position  of  the 
church  as  the  unnChris- 
tian  life  of  those  who 
represent  it.  If  ministers 
or  elders  or  deacons  fail 
in  the  every-day  virtues 
of  honesty,  justice,  truth, 
we  need  not  wonder  that 
a  prejudice  is  created 
which  has  a  very  close 
connection  with  the  stay- 
at-home  habit  in  men  and 
women. 

These  are  a  few  general 
reasons  for  non-attend- 
ance. Can  we  do  any- 
thing to  remedy  them?  I 
believe  so.  While  our 
country  church  must 
stand  for  the  vital  truths 
of  Christianity,  while  its 
first  duty  is  to  in- 
spire the  spirit  of 
pure,  sincere  worship,  and  make  God  a 
living  fact  in  the  lives  of  all  who  come  under 
its  influence,  it  cannot  attain  success  even 
here  unless  it  also  seeks  to  serve  the  people, 
in  their  every-day  needs.  Some  of  our  city 
churches  have  a  kindergarten  for  the  little 
children  during  the  church  hour,  so  that  the 
mothers  and  fathers  may  have  a  chance  for 
the  rest  and  refreshment  that  is  their  due. 
The  country  church  needs  this  also,  and  it 
would  be  a  great  boon  to  many  tired  parents. 
But  the  country  church  is  so  poor  that  it  can- 
not afford  this  luxury,  some  will  say !  The 
knowledge  of  the  need  will  often  pave  the 
way  to  the  achievement. 

The  church  cannot  eliminate  distance.  It 
can  throw  its  influence,  however,  in  favor  of 
the  good  roads  movement,  and  so  overcome 
one  of  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  church- 
going.  Then,  too,  it  can  carry  its  services 
to  the  people.  Dr.  Persons,  of  Cazenovia,  N. 
T.,  is  a  notable  example  of  such  splendid 
work.     So  the  Congregational  Home  Mission- 


GATHERING  SPRING  BEAUTIES 


ary  Society  in  Massachu- 
setts has  been  a  valuable 
factor  in  this  way.  It 
has  planted  its  Gospel 
tents  in  many  neglected 
localities,  and  has  reach- 
ed people  who  had  be- 
come indifferent,  and 
heedless  of  their  own  re- 
ligious needs  and  obliga- 
tions. 

As  to  supporting  the 
church,  very  few  women 
in  the  country  handle 
much  money  themselves. 
Among  the  more  pro- 
gressive farmers,  the 
wife's  work  is  receiving 
recognition  financially 
and  otherwise,  but  there 
are  still  many  of  the  old- 
fashioned  kind  who  keep 
their  wives  in  economic 
dependence,  and  it  is  only 
by  chance  that  such 
women  have  occasionally 
a  few  dollars  they  may 
call  their  own.  There- 
fore while  women  main- 
tain a  large  proportion  of 
the  churches  by  their  re- 
ligious activity  and  their 
devoted  labor,  they  are  not  always  in  a  posi- 
tion to  pay  the  bills  except  through  the  sew- 
ing meetings  and  cake  sales. 

There  is  no  one  harder  to  arouse  than  the 
confirmed  stay-at-home,  be  it  man  or  woman, 
but  like  St.  Paul,  our  churches  must  learn  to 
be  all  things  to  all  men  and  women.  If  the 
call  of  the  Sunday  morning  church  bell 
awakens  no  response,  it  may  be  that  a 
mother's  club  will  arouse  interest.  Talks 
on  the  woman's  side  of  country  life,  her  prob- 
lems and  difficulties,  may  succeed  when  the 
missionary  meeting  alone  will  not.  A  vital 
interest  in  the  woman's  life,  a  sympathy  for 
her  loneliness  and  isolation,  a  hearty  en- 
deavor to  help  in  practical  ways,  will  bring 
her  a  revelation  of  what  religion  really  is — 
that  it  is  not  only  creed,  but  deed,  that  it  is 
not  only  believing  about  Jesus,  but  it  is  living 
the  Christ  life,  that  it  is  not  merely  attend- 
ing church,  but  it  is  making  the  life  of  the 
entire  community  safer,  cleaner,  nobler, — a 
Christian  common  wen  lth. 


Contorting  tfje  Community 

Converting  the  Neighborhood 


FRED    EASTMAN 


BY  converting  the  neighborhood  I  mean 
getting  a  new  spirit  into  it.  The 
average  rural  village  in  this  country 
insists)  that  it  is  the  most  "peculiar"  spot  on 
earth,  that  wonderful  things  might  be  done 
in  other  places  but  "not  in  this  town."  To 
put  in  the  place  of  this  spirit  a  spirit  of 
pride  in  the  neighborhood,  to  put  neighborly 
friendliness  and  co-operation  in  the  place  of 
suspicion  and  independence,  to  get  the  "new- 
comers" and  "old-timers"  alike  to  look  upon 
the  community  as  their  own,  belonging  to 
them  both,  and  as  a  place  where  it  is  good  to 
live — this  is  to  convert 
the  neighborhood.  Not 
until  a  community  has 
this  atmosphere  can  the 
church  as  an  institution 
do  its  best  work. 

I  would  like  to  use  our 
own   village    and    church 
as    a    concrete    example, 
claiming  neither  that  we 
are  typical   nor   that  we 
have  had  any  tremendous 
success.    But  we  feel  that 
we    have    made   progress 
and   our   experience  may 
be  helpful  to  others.  Two 
years  ago  our  community 
spirit  was  at  low  ebb.  It 
was   a   spirit   of   "knock- 
ing" and  of  suspicion  and 
of  antagonism  to  any  co- 
operative   effort.      I    re- 
member about  that  time 
at   a   public   meeting   one   of   the   old-timers 
said  that  "this  town  was  called  Locust  Val- 
ley because  there  were  so  many  low  cusses 
in  it."     The  membership  of  our  church  was 
22  and  the  total  yearly  budget  $600,  and  this 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  an  excellent  preacher 
had  been  serving  the  church  every  Sunday. 

There  was  in  this  town,  however,  one  live 
and  active  organization.    It  was  a  Neighbor- 


hood Association,  made  up  largely  of  the 
wealthy  summer  residents  who  were  for  the 
most  part  men  of  big  minds  and  broad  public 
spirit.  This  organization  had  accomplished 
many  splendid  things  for  the  community,  but 
it  had  secured  as  yet  little  co-operation  from 
the  majority  of  the  village  people.  The  work 
of  the  association  had  grown  so  extensively 
that  it  was  considering  the  employment  of  a 
secretary  on  full  time.  The  church  happened 
to  be  in  need  of  a  minister  through  the  resig- 
nation on  account  of  ill-health  of  the  pastor 
at  that  time.    I  was  called  to  occupy  the  dual 


SPORTS  FOR  THE  LITTLE  FELLOWS 

position  of  pastor  of  the  church  and  secretary 
of  the  Neighborhood  Association. 

After  a  talk  with  the  members  of  our 
church  and  with  the  directors  of  the  Neigh- 
borhood Association,  we  were  all  agreed  that 
if  we  were  going  to  make  the  church  a  live 
church  we  had  better  begin  by  making  the 
community  a  live  community.  We  resolved  to 
make  the  church  serve  the  community  in  any 


12 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


13 


practical  way  that  it  could.  We  would  preach 
no  sermon®  on  why  people  ought  to  go  to 
church.  We  would  preach  rather  sermons 
on  how  the  religion  of  loving  one's  neighbor 
as  oneself  could  be  applied  to  the  problems 
of  good  roads  and  better  schools  and  clean 
recreations. 

A  few  months  after  we  started  we  held  a 
New  Year's  Day  resolution  service  and  adopt- 


THEY  ARE  OFF!  WORKING  TO  HOLD  THE  BOY 


ed  individually  and  as  a  congregation  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions : 

To  co-operate  with  my  neighbors  this  year 
to  the  following  ends : 

To  construct  a  large  building  for  such  com- 
munity purposes  as  public  recreation,  library, 
concerts,  lecture  courses,  gymnasium,  club 
rooms  and  fire  department. 

To  properly  maintain  our  roads. 

To  bring  producer  and  consumer  in  this 
vicinity  closer  together  in  some  sort  of  co- 
operative enterprise. 

To  secure  cheaper  lights. 

To  improve  the  appearance  of  the  neighbor- 
hood by  proper  disposal  of  rubbish,  by  the 
construction  of  sidewalks,  by  planting,  and 
by  beautifying  all  properties  in  which  I  have 
any  interest. 

To  aid  the  school  board  and  the  public 
school  teachers  in  every  progressive  effort. 

To  stick  to  these  undertakings  until  they 
are  accomplished,  giving  of  my  time  and 
money  as  I  am  able,  and  doing  all  for  the 
public  good. 

A  copy  of  these  resolutions  was  tacked  up 
in  every  place  of  business  in  the  village  and 
remained  there  during  the  following  year. 
Each  copy  was  signed  by  the  proprietor.  Many 


copies  were  tacked  up  in  homes ;  some  were 
framed. 

Our  Neighborhood  Association  and  our 
church  together  have  worked  to  get  these  reso- 
lutions fulfilled.  We  have  failed  to  construct 
sidewalks  and  we  have  failed  to  bring  pro- 
ducers and  consumers  closer  together.  But 
the  community  building  has  been  built  at  a 
cost  of  about  $30,000.  Much  voluntary  labor 
was  used  in  its  con- 
struction. Our  roads 
have  been  better  main- 
tained than  ever  be- 
fore. We  have  secured 
cheaper  lights.  We 
have  improved  the  ap- 
pearance of  our  neigh- 
borhood. We  have  con- 
solidated the  music  of 
our  community  under 
a  music  secretary.  We 
have  done  what  we 
could  to  aid  the  public 
school  and  to  bring 
happiness  into  the 
lives  of  the  school 
children  and  the  teach- 
ers by  automobile  rides,  picnics,  and  by  spe- 
cial services  in  the  church.  Better  than  all 
these,  however,  a  spirit  of  pride  in  the  com- 
munity and  of  neighborly  friendliness  is 
growing  day  by  day.  Our  Neighborhood  As- 
sociation has  done  far  more  than  our  church 
in  accomplishing  these  results,  but  our  church 
has  helped  secure  them  by  constant  emphasis 
upon  the  need  of  them  and  by  individual  and 
collective  co-operation  with  the  committees 
of  the  Neighborhood  Association. 

And  what  has  been  the  result  upon  the 
church  of  its  giving  itself  to  the  practical 
welfare  of  the  community?  The  march  of 
our  church  has  been  no  triumphal  procession 
along  the  path  of  progress.  There  have  been 
many  times,  when  we  who  are  working  in 
it  were  almost  ready  to  give  up.  And  yet 
looking  back  over  our  work  we  see  signs  of 
a  new  life  appearing  all  along  the  way.  A 
few  weeks  after  we  began  our  .igitation  for 
an  organization  to  furnish  clean  recreations 
one  of  the  young  men  of  the  neighborhood 
came  to  me  asking  if  I  would  reserve  a  few 
pews  in  church  for  "some  of  the  fellows."  I 
told  him  I  would  gladly  reserve  the  whole 
church.    We  reserved  a  couple  of  pews  along 


14 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


the  side  aisle.  The  following  Sunday  they 
filled  those  two  and  two  more.  We  have  not 
been  able  to  hold  these  young  men  steadily, 
but  they  appear  spasmodically  in  groups  and 
at  nearly  all  special  services.  Our  member- 
ship has  more  than  quadrupled.  When  we 
began  our  membership  was  22.  Now  it  is 
92.  Our  attendance  has  increased  propor- 
tionately. Nearly  every  young  man  who  was 
employed  on  the  Neighborhood  building  last 


winter  joined  the  church  this  spring.  There 
are  about  15  of  these.  Our  budget  is  now 
$3,000  a  year.  In  our  pews  we  find  "old  tim- 
ers" and  "new-comers"  sitting  side  by  side. 
We  find  wealthy  summer  residents  and  the 
employees  on  their  estates  singing  out  of 
the  same  hymn-books.  We  feel  that  as  a 
church  we  have  tested  and  found  true  the 
Master's  saying,  "He  that  loseth  his  life  for 
my  sake  and  the  Gospel's  shall  save  it." 


BESIDE  QUIET  WATERS 


Christianizing  Rural  Business 


ALBERT   E.   ROBERTS 


IT  is  both  interesting  and  encouraging  to 
note  the  remarkable  advance  in  the  ap- 
plication of  the  principles  of  pure  and 
undefiled  religion  in  business.  Men  every- 
where are  hungry  for  it  but,  it  is  especially 
noticeable  among  those  whose  interests  are 
rural  socially  or  commercially.  Even  among 
those  who  fail  to  appreciate  the  mission  of 
the  church  and  who  consequently  support  it 
only  nominally  if  at  all,  there  is  abundant 
recognition  of  the  principle  of  unselfish  ser- 
vice as  laid  down  in  the  teachings  of  Jesus. 
Moreover,  so-called  non-Christian  men  appre- 


ciate the  fact  that  a  practical  application  of 
these  principles  is  impossible  unless  there 
be  more  than  a  human  motive. 

The  principal  point  of  attack  of  the  ene- 
mies of  co-operation  is  that  "as  an  ideal  the 
scheme  may  be  all  right,  but  human  nature 
is  too  selfish  to  work  the  plan,  and  that  even 
among  professing  Christians  self -interest  is 
much  stronger  than  altruism."  There  may 
be  reason  for  this  criticism,  but  the  fact  re- 
mains that  every  successful  co-operative  en- 
terprise has  been  based  on  a  religious  motive 
and  there  is  gradually  dawning  on  the  con- 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


15 


sciousness  of  the  people  of  this  country  the 
truth  that  real  satisfactions'  of  life  are  se- 
cured through  application  of  the  golden  rule 
in  .business!.  An  interesting  side  light  on  the 
enquiry  of  the  American  Commission  for  the 
study  of  rural  credits,  agriculture  and  coun- 
try life  in  European  countries  was  the  fact 
that  practically  every  scheme  of  betterment 
that  was  working  out  to  the  advantage  of 
country  people  economically  or  socially  orig- 
inated in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  men  and 
women  whose  sole  ambition  was  to  help  and 
not  exploit  the  rural  people.  Furthermore, 
they  had  no  social,  political  or  commercial 
axes  to  grind  and  therefore  were  obliged  to 
tread  the  path  of  the  pioneer — in  some  cases 
to  suffer  social  and  political  ostracism.  They 
were  regarded  as  impractical  idealists  but  be- 
cause their  motives  were  more  than  human 
they  never  wavered.  Their  spirit  was  con- 
tagious and  their  followers  are  actuated  by 
the  same  motive. 

David  Lubin,  the  United  States  represen- 
tative to  the  International  Institute  of  Agri- 
culture at  Rome,  told  the  writer  that  his 
philosophy  was  based  on  the  prophecy  of 
Isaiah,  that  the  time  should  come  when  the 
sword®  should  be  beaten  into  ploughshare? 
and  the  spears  into  pruning  hooks — in  other 
words,  that  agriculture  should  be  the  medium 
through  which  the  nations  of  the  world 
should  come  together.  A  study  of  what  has 
already  been  accomplished  through  this  end 
will  reveal  the  fact  that  this  is  a  sound 
philosophy.  Signor  Luzzatti,  the  apostle  o'f 
the  new  rural  Italy,  spoke  at  length  to  the 
commission  on  making  something  out  of 
nothing  or  capitalizing  the  good-will  of  men. 
Monsieur  Viges,  the  grand  old  man  of 
France,  who  resigned  as  Minister  of  Agri- 
culture after  five  successive  terms,  in  order 
that  he  might  become  the  president  of  the 
allied  voluntary  agricultural  societies  of  all 
France  ( without  pay ) ,  moved  the  entire  com- 
mission to  tears  as  he  modestly  but  passion- 
ately declared  that  his  political  services  to 
his  country  were  as  nothing  compared  to  the 
voluntary  service  as  an  apostle  of  co-opera- 
tion, for  as  a  volunteer  he  was  able  to  estab- 
lish an  "agricultural  mutuality"  or  brother- 
ly trustfulness  among  the  farmers.  Sir  Hor- 
ace Plunkett's  personality  is  greater  than  his 
propaganda  and  he  draws  by  the  great  mo- 
tive of  his  life  the  ablest  and  best  men  of 
all    Ireland,    Protestant    and    Catholic.      His 


spirit  is  contagious  and  among  his  followers 
are  men  and  women  working  for  a  mere  pit- 
tance or  for  no  financial  return'  who  could 
command  in  our  country  from  five  to  ten 
thousand  dollare  annually.  One  splendid  busi- 
ness man,  an  Oxford  graduate  who  gives 
large  blocks,  of  time  and  pays  his  own  ex- 
penses, put  it  this  way:  "Sir  Horace's  life 
is  a  constant  inspiration  to  me,  and  the 
work  of  promoting  co-operation  is  great.  He 
can  have  me  or  anything  that  I  have." 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  co-operation  is  a 
success  in  Ireland  under  such  leadership? 
Many  co-operative  dairies  were  visited  by  the 
commission  and  always  the  village  priest 
or  the  pastor  was  a  factor  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  always  men  of  unquestioned  char- 
acter were  the  leaders — men  who  had  caught 
the  real  spirit  of  service  to  others  and  who 
were  doing  much  more  than  they  were  paid  for 
in  holding  the  co-operators  together  in  times 
of  crisis. — Christianizing  rural  business. 

Throughout  Germany,  where  the  Rural 
Credit  System  has  perhaps  been  best  worked 
out,  the  name  of  Raifaisen  is  held  in  loving 
memory  by  the  people,  for  Raifaisen  paid  the 
price  of  efficiency  in  rural  credit  by  placing 
service  to  his  fellowmen  above  personal  gain 
or  greed.  His  system  is  of  world  renown, 
but  he  is  remembered  in  Germany  not  pri- 
marily as  a  financier  or  the  creator  of  an 
equitable  plan  of  rural  credit  but  as  a  friend 
of  the  people^ — a  man  who  demonstrated  the 
close  relationship  between  character  and 
credit  and  the  economic  value  of  a  clean  life. 
In  every  country  visited  by  the  commission 
this  fundamental  principle  obtained.  Wher- 
ever any  plan  or  system  of  rural  betterment 
really  worth  while  was  in  operation  its  suc- 
cess depended  upon  unselfish  leadership. 

Europeans  for  the  most  part  are  ready  to 
concede  this  and  without  doubt  this  influence 
is  having  its  effect  upon  rural  business  in 
this  country,  for  everywhere  it  is  manifest- 
ing itself.  Agricultural  experts  are  teaching 
the  vital  relationship  of  corn  and  character. 
A  corn  show  exhibiting  the  product  of  a 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  group  in 
Michigan  recently  was  held  in  the  county 
courtroom.  The  judge  in  granting  the  use  of 
his  court  remarked  that  if  the  boys  of  the 
county  were  busy  producing  more  and  better 
corn  there  would  be  less  criminals  to  judge. 

Farmers  are  beginning  to  treat  the  soil  as 


16 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


though  it  were  holy,  and  are  conscious  of 
working  together  with  God  when  they  pro- 
duce more  and  better  crops.  Bankers  are 
recognizing  the  commercial  value  of  good 
character.  At  a  recent  meeting  of  one  of  the 
most  progressive  State  Bankers'  Association 
of  the  Middle  West,  fifteen  hundred  bankers 
received  two  addresses  on  vital  Christianity 
in  its  relation  to  the  modern  business  mail 
with  more  enthusiasm  than  a  full  explana- 


tion of  the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  System  by 
a  United  States  Congressman  or  a  discussion 
of  rural  credits.  No  appeal  meets  with  a 
more  ready  response  than  the  one  which  spir- 
itualizes the  commonplace  and  demonstrates 
to  the  farmer,  the  banker  or  any  other  rural 
business  man  the  close  relationship  between 
good  character  and  good  business.  The  times 
are  ripe  for  this  gospel.  It  is  an  unprece- 
dented opportunity  for  the  rural  church. 


A  Cooperative  Country  Church  Movement 


F.   L.    ALLEN 


IN  1913  Jamestown,  Pa.,  enjoyed  a  series 
of  very  profitable  revival  meetings, 
conducted  by  Evangelist  Dr.  W.  W. 
Orr.  Rev.  H.  E.  Bright,  of  the  M.  E.  church 
of  Kinsman,  O.,  conceived  the  idea  of  bring- 
ing the  privileges  of  such  a  meeting  to  his 
rural  community.  Under  his  leadership  the 
idea  finally  crystallized  into  an  organization 
of  the  Christian  workers  of  half  a  dozen  dis- 
tinctively rural  townships  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  a  country  church  revival. 

Dr.  Orr  was  asked  to  conduct  the  meet- 
ings^ and  in  consenting  said  that  it  was 
something  of  an  experiment ;  that  such  meet- 
ings were  always  held  in  larger  centers, 
where  more  people  could  be  reached,  and 
the  country  districts  were  neglected;  that 
in  coming  to  Kinsman  he  was  turning  down 
invitations  from  larger  cities,  to  see  if  it 
were  possible  to  reach  the  people  of  the 
country  through  such  an  organized  co-opera- 
tive movement.  The  tabernacle  used  in 
Jamestown  was  purchased  for  $350,  and 
carefully  dismantled,  and  19  farmers  hauled 
it  to  Kinsman,  the  center  of  the  co-operative 
group,  on  their  sleds.  Early  in  the  spring 
88  men  of  the  "group,"  mostly  farmers,  got 
together  and  set  up  the  tabernacle,  the  ladies 
of  the  churches  serving  dinner.  Even  before 
this  the  entire  campaign  was  organized  and 
the  following  committees  were  actively  at 
work.  Executive,  finance,  publicity,  personal 
work,  transportation,  ushers,  etc.,  and  every- 
thing gotten  in  readiness  for  the  meetings 
in  June.  This  was  indeed  something  of  an 
experiment — a  summer  revival  in  the  coun- 
try. 

The   meetings   were   well    advertised    and 


much  preparatory  work  done,  and  on  Sun- 
day, May  31st,  the  first  day  of  the  meetings, 
the  tabernacle  was  filled,  and  1,000  country 
people  heard  the  Gospel  message  presented 
as  few  of  them  had  heard  it  before,  and 
the  success  of  the  movement  was  assured. 
Dr.  Orr  said  of  his  preaching,  that  it  was 
the  same  old  message  they  had  always  heard, 
the  only  difference  was,  that  most  preachers 
gave  it  cold,  while  he  gave  it  hot. 

One  of  the  strong  features  of  the  meetings 
was  the  choir  of  100  voices  led  by  Prof.  H. 
P.  Armstrong,  who  with  his  wife  were  em- 
ployed with  Dr.  Orr  for  the  occasion. 

For  three  weeks  Dr.  Orr  and  Prof.  Arm- 
strong preached  and  sang  the  Gospel  each 
afternoon  and  evening  at  the  tabernacle, 
and  held  morning  services  in  the  surround- 
ing townships'.  People  from  all  over  the 
"group"  as  the  co-operating  territory  was 
called,  came  in  automobiles  and  carriages 
and  often  crowded  the  tabernacle.  Great  in- 
terest was  manifest ;  30  or  40  men  offered 
their  machines  and  time,  that  those  might 
get  to  the  meetings  that  could  not  otherwise 
attend. 

At  a  result  of  the  effort,  some  240  persons 
confessed  Christ  at  the  meetings  and  the 
churches  of  the  "group"  have  received  250 
into  their  membership.  The  results  are  to 
be  counted  not  alone  in  the  accessions  to 
church  membership,  but  in  the  better  com- 
munity feeling  and  quickened  country  life; 
the  spirit  of  harmony  and  fellowship  in  the 
churches  and  throughout  the  countryside. 

There  are  those  who  always  want  to  know 
the  cost;  the  money  paid  for  the  tabernacle; 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


17 


to  Prof.  Armstrong  and  his  wife ;  for  ad- 
vertising, transportation  and  incidentals,  to- 
taled $750,  and  a  free-will  offering  of  $725 
was  taken  for  Dr.  Orr  on  the  last  day  of  the 
meetings.  The  money  was  raised  easily  and 
without  any  undue  "pressure.  The  expense 
was  insignificant  compared  with  the  results. 
I  have  written  this  with  the  thought  that 
there  might  he  in  our  experience  at  Kins- 


man a  suggestion  for  other  rural  communi- 
ties. Of  course,  "It  is  not  by  might,  nor  by 
power,  but  by  my  spirit,  saith  the  Lord," 
but  the  Spirit's  power  is  usually  manifest 
through  human  instrumentalities,  and  our 
experience  shows  that  it  is  possible  to  or- 
ganize in  rural  communities,  channels 
through  which  this  power  may  flow  in  large 
measure. 


The  Protest  of  Deacon  Moxley 


SAMUEL  TILDEN  LARKIN 


GIT  up  thar  Moll,  yuh  triflin'  critter !" 
Deacon  Moxley  gave  the  old  mare 
a  vicious  jab  with  the  end  of  the 
stick  that  served  him  in  place  of  a  whip. 
One  could  tell  at  a  glance  that  Deacon  Moxley 
was  not  in  the  humor  to  be  lenient  or  to  look 
with  the  least  degree  of  allowance  on   the 


FARMING   IN  THE  MODERN  WAY 


shortcomings  of  any  man  or  animal.  There 
was  a  sour  look  on  his  face  and  a  long-stand- 
ing frown  on  his  brow.  He  was  called  Dea- 
con Moxley  because  of  his  iron  disposition  to- 
ward human  failings  and  his  appearance  of 
extreme  piety,  and  not  because  of  any  official 
relationship  to  the  church.  True,  he  did  oc- 
cupy a  place  of  authority  in  the  church,  but 
not  the  place  of  authority  as  he  had  done 
in  former  days. 


The  church  and  the  entire  community,  un- 
der the  leadership  of  men  of  narrow  ideas, 
had  degenerated  until  all  life  and  activity 
had  gone.  There  had  been  no  progress  in 
any  direction  for  the  betterment  of  the  social, 
religious  or  business  affairs  of  the  neighbor- 
hood.    The  business  of  the  community  was 

that  of  farming, 
and  it  was  done 
according  to 
custom  and  not 
according  to  the 
best  method 
that  science  and 
experience  could 
teach.  In  the 
village  of  Way- 
side there  was  a 
general  store, 
the  post-office, 
blacksmith  shop, 
the  church  and 
a  few  strag- 
gling houses.  It 
had  often  been 
designated  as  an 
unburied  corpse. 
The  social  life 
consisted  mainly 
of  "howdy"  and  "goodt-bye,"  and  the  religious 
activities  of  a  long,  dry  sermon  on  Sunday 
mornings  twice  a  month. 

But  a  change  had  been  in  the  minds  of  cer- 
tain people  for  quite  a  while.  Any  changge 
would  be  for  the  better.  It  could  hardly  be 
worse  than  the  present  state  of  affairs.  The 
young  men  of  the  community  and  those  of 
their  elders  who  were  in  sympathy,  had  been 
reading  and  thinking  and  talking,  and  now 


IS 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


were  beginning  to  act.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Grey 
had  appeared  on  the  scene  and  they  had 
found  him  to  be  a  young  man  of  ability  along 
the  lines  they  needed  in  reforming  and  re- 
building the  community.  Also  he  had  an  un- 
bounded ambition  and  enthusiasm  in  great 
contrast  to  all  former  ministers  who  had 
served  the  village  church.  He  was  the  man 
they  wanted  and  they  found  him  willing  to 
turn  away  from 
the  attractions 
of  the  city  and 
the  larger  town 
pastorate  and 
try  his  hand  on 
the  country 
problem. 

Deacon  Mox- 
ley  entered  his 
protest.  He 
would  have  none 
of  the  new-fang- 
led notions  put 
into  the  heads  of 
the  people,  and 
he  was  "agin" 
the  whole  move. 
He  argued  and 
blustered  until 
he  got  red  in  the 

face,  but  all  in  vain.  Mr.  Grey  was  called 
and  other  steps  taken  looking  to  a  new  state 
of  affairs. 

Deacon  Moxley  drove  into  his  lot,  put  up 
his  horse  and  went  stalking  into  the  house. 
His  daughter,  Nell,  was  anxiously  awaiting 
news  of  the  board  meeting.  She  had  met  Mr. 
Grey  a  number  of  times  and  was  beginning 
to  like  him  very  much.  Like  the  others  of 
progressive  tendencies,  she  wanted  to  see  the 
community  wake  up  and  move  out  of  the  old 
rut,  but  she  knew  better  than  to  advance 
these  views  to  her  father.  She  was  an  ex- 
ceedingly attractive  girl,  notwithstanding  the 
poverty  of  her  parent  in  that  article. 

"Now  we're  in  it  up  to  our  necks,"  exploded 
the  deacon. 

"How  is  that,  father?" 

"Why,  them  contrary,  bull-headed  critters 
wouldn't  listen  to  my  warnin',  an'  they're  a 
goin'  to  ruin  the  church  with  their  outlandish 
plans.  I  won't  have  nothin'  to  do  with  no 
sech  doin's." 

Nell   hid   a   smile  behind  her  hand.      She 


had  the  information  she  wanted,  and  she  was 
glad. 

Several  weeks  went  by,  and  they  were 
weeks  full  of  effort  on  the  part  of  the  new 
minister,  seconded  by  the  approval  and  the 
assistance  of  the  men.  There  had  been  a 
men's  mass  meeting,  attended  by  a  large  ma- 
jority of  the  men  of  the  community,  and  they 
showed   their   interest   by    taking    an    active 


,  ■  . . 


PEACE,  SWEET   PEACE 

part  in  discussion  of  plans  and  in  organiza- 
tion for  more  effective  neighborhood  service. 
Some  of  the  plansi  decided  upon  in  the  meet- 
ing had  as  their  ultimate  end  the  establish- 
ing of  a  community  library  where  the  people 
could  meet  and  enjoy  a  brief  time  in  con- 
versation, obtain  books  and  magazines  for 
entertainment  and  profitable  reading;  a  lec- 
ture course  on  agriculture  that  would  help 
the  men  to  be  better  farmers ;  a  series  of  en- 
tertainments to  bring  the  people  together  in 
a  social  way ;  organized  effort  looking  to  a 
more  efficient  school,  better  roads,  improved 
farm  conditions,  etc.  Then  there  was  to  be  a 
young  people's  society,  a  song  circle  for  the 
young  people,  a  base  ball  club  for  the  boys, 
and  a  debating  society  for  the  young  men. 
There  were  services  now  every  Sunday  and  a 
large  increase  in  the  attendance  and  interest 
of  the  people.  The  new  work  was  thriving 
and  the  village  putting  on  new  life  and  the 
Whole  'country  waking  up  to  new  duties  and 
opportunities. 

Mr.    Grey,    on   his   rounds,    called    at   the 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


19 


home  of  Deacon  Moxley,  but  he  met  with  a 
poor  reception  in  the  person  of  the  deacon. 
The  cordial  greeting  that  Nell  gave  him,  how- 
ever, more  than  offset  the  hearing  of  the 
father.  Deacon  Moxley  was  not  the  kind  to 
easily  admit  defeat,  and  he  was  deeply  in- 
censed because  the  people  of  the  entire  coun- 
try had  risen  to  the  leadership  of  this  young 
man.  He  saw  the  change  for  the  better — a 
change  that  amounted  almost  to  a  revolution, 
but,  like  the  old  man  who  looked  for  the  first 
time  on  a  giraffe  and  swore  that  no  such  ani- 
mal existed,  he  would  not  admit  the  improved 
condition. 

Grey  had  found  in  Nell  Moxley  a  congenial 
companion,  they  had  soon  become  warm 
friends  and,  almost  before  they  knew  it,  this 
had  ripened  into  a  deeper  affection.  They 
had  seen  much  of  each  other  in  the  young 
people's  meetings  and  social  gatherings.  While 
her  father  did  not  approve  of  the  new  order 
of  things  and  worked  overtime  in  talking 
about  it  to  whomever  would  listen,  yet  he 
did  mot  try  to  prevent  his  daughter  from  tak- 
ing an  active  part.  He  either  could  not  or 
he  was  ashamed  to  try.  It  was  grim  humor 
that  Grey  should  fall  in  love  with  the  daugh- 
ter of  his  enemy,  but  his  heart  had  spoken, 
and  it  was  too  late  to  withdraw.  He  had 
come  into  the  community  with  an  ambition 
to  do  certain  things  and  to  render  an  earnest 
service.  Those  things  and  more  had  been 
accomplished  by  his  efforts  and  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  men  of  the  church,  and  he  had  suc- 
ceeded also  in  winning  his  way  to  the  heart 
and  hand  of  the  flower  of  the  flock.  And 
now  there  was  before  him  an  unpleasant 
thing  that  he  had  to  do.  He  wanted  Nell 
with  all  his  heart,  yet  to  have  to  ask  Dea- 
con Moxley  for  her  was  not  an  agreeable 
task.  But  there  was  no  other  way,  and  he 
mustered  the  required  courage  and  made 
the  venture. 

Arriving  at  the  Moxley  farm,  he  found 
the  deacon  located  on  the  porch  and  as  cool 


as  ever.  He  did  not  offer  his  hand  nor  ask 
his  visitor  to  be  seated ;  but  Grey  took  the 
seat  without  an  invitation  to  do  so,  and  im- 
mediately plunged  into  the  subject  for  which 
he  had  come. 

"And  now,  Mr.  Moxley,  I  want  your  daugh- 
ter for  my  wife,"  Grey  concluded  with  much 
fervor  of  voice  and  manner. 

By  the  time  he  was  through,  the  deacon 
was  on  his  feet.  The  exnlosion  had  come. 
Shaking  his  fist  in  the  face  of  the  young 
niiniste>r,  he  said : 

"You've  got  gall  to  come  here  and  ask 
me  for  my  daughter !  Not  only  tear  up  the 
whole  country  with  your  doin's,  but  now  yuh 
want  her,  do  yuh?  Well,  I'll  give  yuh  to 
understand,  sir,  that  I  don't  approve  of  your 
ways  of  carryin'  on  the  work — not  by  a  jug 
full  do  I!" 

Grey  was  also  on  his  feet. 

"Mv.  Moxley,"  he  said,  "I  don't  care  a 
rap  whether  you  approve  or  don't  approve 
of  my  work.  We  have  succeeded  without 
you,  and  we  intend  to  go  right  on  building 
up  the  church  and  making  the  church  serve 
the  community.  We  are  right,  and  you  know 
we  are  right,  and  now  I  want  you  to  be  a 
man  and  admit  it." 

"I'll  never  do  it,  sir,  never !  But  if  my 
daughter  wants  yuh  an'  yuh  want  her,  then 
take  her;  but  I'll  be  blamed  if  I'll  admit 
anything." 

The  next  Sunday  morning,  to  the  surprise 
of  everyone  and  of  Grey  in  particular,  Dea- 
con Moxley  came  in  at  the  door  of  the 
church,  strode  up  the  aisle  and  took  his  seat 
near  the  front.  He  would  admit  nothing  by 
word  of  mouth,  but  by  action  he  had  admit- 
ted. Grey  looked  across  at  Nell,  and  she 
gave  him  a  smile  that  revealed  the  situa- 
tion. Then  it  was  time  to  begin  the  service, 
and  he  had  the  congregation  to  stand  and 
sing  "Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings 
flow." 


20 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


Bringing  in  Outlying  Sections 


CHAS.    O.    BEMIES 


WITHIN  a  radius  of  five  miles  of  most 
country  churches,  whether  they 
are  located  in  a  small  town  or  in 
the  open,  there  are  usually  a  number  of  un- 
evangelized  localities.  They  may  possibly 
run  a  Sunday-school  for  a  few  months  in 
occasional  years,  and  have  a  preacher  come 
out  once  a  year  or  so.  The  preachers  and 
churches  have  an  idea  that  these  people  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  parish  ought  to  go  the 
distance  to  church  if  they  really  want  to 
hear  the  Gospel  or  care  anything)  about 
church.  And  so  they  usually  leave  them 
alone  without  the  Gospel.  For  various  rea- 
sons these  people  will  not  go  to  the  church. 

Let  us  to  the  winds  with  all  the  alleged 
reasons  for  the  whys  and  wherefores  of  this 
deadlocked  condition !  When  all  has  been 
said,  the  solid  rock  responsibility  rests  with 
the  church  and  the  pastor  nearest  such  un- 
evangelized  districts.  No  city  missionary  so- 
ciety is  going  to  seek  out  and  evangelize 
these  scattered  localities.  It  is  the  business 
of  each  near-by  church  do  her  own  evan- 
gelizing. For  a  church  and  pastor  to  sit 
down  and  expect  the  people  to  come  from 
far  and  near  because  they  "ought  to,"  and 
put  the  blame  on  them  is  really  evangelistic 
criminality  on  the  part  of  the  church.  If 
the  peopie  do  not  come  to  the  Gospel  the 
Gospel  must  be  taken  to  them.  The  Master 
said  to  the  believers,  "Go,  preach,"  not  to 
the  unbelievers,  "You  must  go  where  the  be- 
lievers are."  We  are  to  seek  out  and  save, 
to  go  to  the  indifferent  and  lost,  not  wait 
for  them  to  come  to  us.  The  duty  of  the 
country  churches  toward  their  border  people 
is  plain. 

The  initiative  will  not  be  taken  by  the 
border  people,  neither  will  it  be  taken  by  the 
church  people.  The  first  move  must  be  taken 
by  the  rural  pastor.  He  must  see  the  dire 
need,  study  the  situation,  and  with  holy  de- 
termination seek  to  supply  that  Gospel  need. 
Right  at  this  point  the  trouble  usually  arises, 
for  the  pastor  will  naturally  think  that  he 
has  no  time,  that  he  probably  has  two  or 
more  churches  already  to  attend  to,  that 
he  has  to  travel  many  miles  each  Sunday 
for  his  preaching  appointments,  and  he  can- 


not see  how  he  can  take  on  any  more  work, 
as  he  thinks  he  has  enough  already.  But 
many  a  minister  is  unconsciously  mistaken 
in  the  amount  of  Gospel  work  he  can  do. 
I  find  by  practical  experience  and  by  the 
experience  of  others  that  a  pastor  is  just 
ahout  as  tired  as  he  thinks  he  is.  If  he 
expects  to  be  tired  he  will  be,  but  if  he  is  in- 
spired every  day  by  a  large  vision  and  its 
fulfillment  he  will  be  daily  refreshed  accord- 
ing to  the  Scripture  promises.  Expectancy 
plays  a  tremendous  pairt  in  this  matter  of 
being  tired.  The  average  minister,  if  he 
thinks  so,  can  take  on  more  work  with  profit 
and  inspiration  to  himself  and  to  others, 
and  get  rid  of  that  tired  feeling.  If  the 
work  for  the  border  folks  cannot  be  done  on 
a  Sunday  there  are  five  more  days  in  the 
week,  if  he  rests  on  Monday.  Let  him  see 
his  border  people,  arrange  for  a  service  on 
some  week-day  evening  in  the  school  house 
or  at  some  other  convenient  point,  a  grange 
hall,  at  some  house,  or  in  the  open  air  dur- 
ing the  summer.  One  thing  is  sure,  the 
people  will  come  to  hear  him  when  he  comes 
to  them. 

But  let  not  the  preacher  suppose  that 
preaching  will  accomplish  the  result,  for 
the  people  must  be  built  up  in  Christian 
work  if  the  fruits  are  to  abide.  Thererore 
he  will  organize  a  branch  or  a  union  Sun- 
day-school, suggest  ways  and  means  of  suc- 
cessfully carrying  it  on  during  the  whole 
year,  and  unobtrusively  supervise  it  and  en- 
courage and  train  the  workers  at  the  night 
meetings,  and  during  his  day  visits,  without 
necessarily  being  present  at  the  Sunday- 
school  itself.  He  will  also  organize  a  Young 
People's  Society  and  be  the  active  sponsor  for 
it,  training  the  young  people  how  to  do 
things  and  what  to  do,  and  how  to  make 
out  programs  for  the  meetings,  being  the  un- 
official director  and  manager  of  the  young 
people's  growing  activities,  teaching  them  to 
be  self-reliant.  The  young  people  will  read- 
ily respond!  and  the  work  can  be  successfully 
built  up,  although  the  pastor  may  not  be 
able  to  attend  the  meetings.  The  pastor 
can  be  an  active  supervisor  of  the  work 
which  will  evangelize  and  develop  the  Chris- 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


:i 


tian  activities  of  these  border  people,  and 
attach  thetu  to  both  himself  and  to  the 
church. 

At  these  week-night  meetings,  held,  jsay 
every  alternate  week  at  least,  the  pastor 
could  profitably  have  a  live  song  service,  a 
bright  fifteen  minute  conference  on  the  local 
Sunday-school  work,  the  same  for  the  Young 
People's  Society,  and  then  preach  with  spirit 
for  about  twenty-five  minutes,  beginning  and 
ending  on  time,  with  everything  bright  and 
concise, 

He   is  thus   a   director   of   the   deA'eloping 


training  of  his  border  people.  Two  or  three 
circling  localities'  can  be  developed,  and  co- 
operative work  done,  by  means  of  occasional 
union  services  at  the  different  points,  socials, 
entertainments,  picnics,  interchange  of  work- 
ers, and  in  many  other  ways.  Thus  by  de- 
veloping the  border  people  into  working  sub- 
units  the  country  pastor  will  discover  him- 
self and  his  opportunities,  freshen  up  his 
own  life  and  mission,  and  greatly  multiply 
himself  by  training  leaders,  and  bringing 
in  the  outlying  sections  into  an  evangelized 
unity  with  himself  and  the  church. 


Evangelizing  Whole  Communities 


MATTHEW  B.   MCNUTT 


ONE  of  the  religious  weeklies  reported 
recently  that  there  are  77,000,000 
'of  the  99,000,000  people  of  the 
United  States  that  are  not  connected  with 
any  church.  This  means  that  only  one  in 
four  of  our  citizens  are  identified  with  the 
church. 

The  conditions  of  the  spiritual  life  of  a 
people  cannot  be  definitely  and  accurately 
expressed  in  figures,  'tis  true.  Many  folks 
outside  the  church  may  be  Christians.  On 
the  other  hand  some  church  members  may 
not  be  Christians.  But  leaving  a  large  mar- 
gin in  either  case  for  the  doubtful  church 
members  and  for  the  Christians  who  have 
never  made  a  public  profession  of  their 
faith  by  uniting  with  the  church,  it  is  evi- 
dent from  these  figures  that  there  are  many 
millions  of  people  in  this  country  that  are 
still  not  reached  with  the  Gospel.  Not  alone 
do  these  figures  bear  testimony  of  this  con- 
dition, but  the  prevalence  of  much  crime, 
poverty  and  social  unrest  in  our  midst  is 
unmistakable  proof  that  the  Gospel  and  the 
spirit  of  Christ  have  yet  to  come  to  multi- 
tudes of  our  people.  "By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them." 

Now  a  whole  community  is  evangelized 
when  everybody  in  the  community  is  con- 
stantly kept  under  the  influences  of  the 
Gospel, — its  teachings  and  its  inspiration.  A 
community  is  not  evangelized  when  a  min- 
ister goes  to  it  and  preaches  once  in  a  while. 
A  community  may  even  have  a  resident  min- 


ister, or  ministers,  Avith  preaching  every 
Sunday  twice  or  more  times,  and  still  not 
be  evangelized.  I  find  many  such  communi- 
ties on  my  travels,  far  too  many.  A  great 
many  people  attend  church  only  occasionally 
or  not  at  all.  The  chances  are  they  do  not 
read  or  study  the  Bible  in  their  homes.  Nor 
do  the  plans  of  the  church  work  include 
them.  They  are  not  reached  at  all  by  the 
present  methods.  Ministers  in  the  larger 
towns  say  that  there  are  very  few  farmers 
in  their  churches.  Their  statements  are  veri- 
fied by  surveys  that  have  been  made,  wnich 
reveal  an  unchurched  zone  around  every 
large  town.  There  are  scores  of  people  in 
every  community  that  can  truthfully  say, 
"no  man  careth  for  my  soul."  It  is  no  won- 
der, therefore,  that  these  vast  millions  are 
still  out  of  the  church  and  many  of  them 
out  of  Christ.     They  are  not  evangelized. 

The  difficulty  lies  largely  in  the  lack  of 
definite,  systematic,  evangelistic  effort. 

The  first  step  towards  evangelizing  whole 
communities  is  to  get  the  boundary  Hue  of 
each  community  definitely  fixed.  Let  a  sur- 
vey be  made  in  every  community  for  the 
purpose  of  locating  every  family  ami  every 
man,  woman  and  child.  The  survey  should 
be  more  than  a  mere  counting  of  beads.  It 
should  include  an  investigation  of  home  and 
community  influences  and  conditions.  If 
there  is  more  than  one  denomination  in  the 
community  the  survey  should  be  made  jointly 
by  the  several  denominations  present,  or  by 


22 


THE  RURAL  EVANGEL 


as  many  as  will  participate,  and  the  facte 
obtained  through,  the  investigation  held  in 
common  and  accessible  to  all.  Let  all  the 
Christian  people  thus  affiliating  unite  on  a 
common  plan  for  evangelizing  the  whole  com- 
munity, the  plan  to  be  based  on  an  intelli- 
gent knowledge  of  the  needs  and  conditions 
obtaining.  The  plan  should  be  continued 
through  the  years,  changed,  and  improved, 
of  course,  from  time  to  time  to  meet  new 
needs  and  conditions. 

The  nearest  approach  to  evangelizing 
whole  communities  is  when  union  revival 
meetings  have  been  held  for  a  short  season, 
when  earnest  workers  are  sent  out  to  visit 
all  the  homes  and  other  means  are  employed 
to  reach  the  whole  people.  These  special 
seasons  of  refreshing  never  fail  to  bring  in 
a  harvest  and  to  revive  and  strengthen  those 
who  engage  in  them.  But  this  method  must 
by  no  means  be  made  a  substitute  for  regu- 
lar, organized,  week-by-week  effort  for  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel. 

This  better  work  may  begin  with  a  very 
small  group  of  workers,  or  even  by  a  single 
person  in  the  community,  obsessed  with  the 
real  evangelistic  spirit,  pastor  or  layman. 

The  boundary  of  the  community  definitely 
fixed  and  all  the  people  located  and  number- 
ed, let  it  be  covered  by  prayer.  In  the  mean- 
time see  that  there  is  a  Bible  or  some  por- 
tion of  the  Word  in  every  home.  By  means 
of  the  Sunday-school  endeavor  from  time  to 
time  to  enlist  everybody  in  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures.  This  can  be  done  through  the 
Cradle  Roll,  the  Home  Department,  and  in 
other  ways.  A  visiting  committee  composed 
of   church   officers   and    teachers   and  others 


should  see  that  every  person  in  the  com- 
munity not  interested  is  visited  at  least  every 
week  so  as  to  hold  up  before  them  the 
Word  of  Life.  Hold  neighborhood  prayer- 
meetings  in  the  various  homes.  Seek  to  in- 
stall in  each  home  a  plan  for  daily  Bible 
reading  and  prayer.  Those  already  enlisted 
may  do  very  effective  calling  by  going  two 
by  two.  Let  appropriate  recognition  be  made 
of  every  new  member  added  to  the  church 
and  Sunday-school  and  the  event  made  an 
occasion  of  great  rejoicing.  An  occasional 
roll  call  is  wholesome,  giving  special  promi- 
nence to  all  the  members  received  within  a 
given  time.  Use  plenty  of  printers'  ink  in 
publishing  glad  tidings,  extending  invitations^ 
recording  progress,  etc.  Occasional  rallies 
are  stimulating.  Gospel  meetings  conducted 
by  the  workers  should  be  held  from  time  to 
time  in  school  houses,  groves,  at  cross  roads, 
and  everywhere  else  that  a  company  of 
people  can  be  assembled.  Various  forms  of 
social  service  to  the  community  may  be  used 
as  effective  means  in  getting  in  touch  with 
folks  and  in  winning  them,  such  as  a  lyceum 
course,  athletics,  social  gatherings,  farmers 
institutes,  community  improvement  clubs,  etc. 
The  idea  is  to  bring  the  leaven  of  the  Word 
in  touch  with  that  which  needs  to  be  leav- 
ened and  to  keep  it  in  touch.  The  Spirit  is 
the  generating  power,  but  the  disciples  must 
sow  the  seed  in  every  heart  and  water  and 
nurture  till  the  harvest  comes.  God  gives 
the  increase. 

Earnest,  faithful,  definite,  systematic,  con- 
tinuous evangelistic  effort  for  each  and  all 
of  the  people  in  a  community  cannot  fail  to 
bring  large  returns. 


C  j, 


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